A/N: Thanks to those who take the time to leave a review - I really appreciate it :) Now, what about that Battle of the Bands that Wade was considering...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 6

"So, that was when I decided to leave it all to fate. I figure we go in for this Battle of the Bands, and if we win, I have the money for my bar, and if we don't, well then, maybe I'm not destined to do more than be Wally's right-hand man. Either way, at least I'll have made a decision and I can't see me bein' unhappy either way."

Zoe wasn't sure she would have made the kind of loose plan that Wade had, but she wasn't about to tell him he was wrong to let destiny decide. She had been the one to say he should do what he wanted, and if this was how he wanted to determine his future path, she had to think it was at least a little more scientific than flipping a coin. After all, though there was no guarantee that Wade's band would win or lose, she would know from how much effort he put into the rehearsals, set list, and such whether he really wanted the win, and by extension, the bar.

"See, now, you're bein' all quiet," he said, looking down at her then. "That makes a man nervous, doc."

She laughed at his joke, even as she rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking about what you said, dummy," she told him, bumping her body against his own as they walked along, her hand squeezing his own that hung over her shoulder. "I guess if you really can't make up your mind on what to do, it's as good a way as any to decide. Is the band up for the challenge?

"Now I admit that is kind of a sticky point." Wade sighed. "The band is totally willing, but we are short a singer without Lily-Anne, and after what happened a few weeks back in Daphne, I ain't altogether keen to be callin' her up and askin' her favours. I'm likely as not to give her the wrong idea about what it is I want from her," he said with a look that was unmistakable.

"Hmm, yeah, probably better if you don't do that," Zoe agreed, "but there must be somebody else who could sing with you, right?

"Well, I know Meatball would love to do it, but I gotta admit, the man is an acquired taste. Let's put it this way, the last song he wrote was called Nightmare Demon Lullaby."

Zoe felt her eyes growing very wide when she heard that. "Yikes."

"Exactly." Wade nodded. "So, much as I love the guy, prob'ly not the greatest choice to win a mainstream competition like Battle of the Bands at Tricky Rick's."

"Okay, so Meatball's out..." Zoe trailed off, thinking of other options. "Ooh, how about George?"

"Tucker?"

Wade looked almost as unsure about that idea as he had when they were talking about Meatball, which seemed entirely unfair to Zoe. Of course, she was aware how Wade had often felt like he was second-string when stood beside his old friend, but she had thought he was over all of that by now.

"Come on, Wade, think about it. You guys killed it at Bluebellapalooza last year. You were the best thing in the whole festival, everybody said so."

That put a smile on his face, as Zoe knew it would. Not that she had said it just to stroke his ego. The band really had been that good. There was an amazing and somewhat unexpected harmony between George and Wade's voices that really worked. She was just positive they were good enough to win Battle of the Bands.

"George Tucker," said Wade then, looking thoughtful yet. "That ain't necessarily the worst idea ever..."

Zoe grinned at his hopeful tone. He was seriously considering her suggestion, which meant he was serious about the competition. So much for leaving everything up to fate and destiny, she could already tell that Wade wanted to do well in the Battle of the Bands, which meant he wanted to win and have the money to set up his own bar.

"What has you so giddy all of a sudden?" he asked then, peering down at her in the half-dark.

"Nothing." Zoe shook her head, unable to stop smiling even when he called her on it. "I'm just happy, you know, being with you. Is that so wrong?"

"Not wrong at all, baby," he assured her, leaning down to kiss her lips, even as they continued walking, the main house on the plantation now in plain view. "So, you waited all this time at the Rammer Jammer to walk me home and such. That mean you're taking me back to your place, or what?"

"Hmm, I guess I could invite you for a sleepover," she said, just this side of teasing. "Could be kind of exciting, spending the night with a rockstar."

"Oh, sweetheart, you got no idea," he said, suddenly sweeping her up into his arms and setting off at a run towards the carriagehouse.

Zoe found herself squealing and laughing uncontrollably as he carried her away. She was just that happy, being with Wade, falling a little more in love with him every day.

"I thought you were bringin' Tansy along." Wade looked beyond George and frowned on realising he had arrived alone for band practice. "One thing I know for sure about my ex-wife, she does love to rock."

"Yeah, Tansy is... Apparently, problems aplenty with some previous musicians that she got close to has made her kind of anti-rock band members now," said George, with a look that Wade couldn't fail to understand.

"Right," he said, drawing the word out long. "Sorry?"

George rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it. I told her, if she doesn't understand that I am a stand-up guy with a steady job who is just going to blow off some steam singing with y'all for this competition, then that is on her. I spent long enough with Lemon making all my decisions for me. Much as I care about Tansy - and you know that I do - I can't go through that again."

Wade didn't really know what to say to that. He was happy for George and Tansy and the relationship they had started. Strange as the pairing seemed on the surface, it really worked for them. Of course, if Tansy couldn't see the difference between Wade how he used to be and George Tucker as he always was, then that was on her. That being said, Wade had hoped she was a little smarter than that.

"Okay, well, I was hopin' Zoe was gonna show too, but I guess she got caught up at the practice longer than she thought she would." Wade checked his watch and sighed. "So, you wanna start with Ramblin' Man? We did pretty good with that one at Bluebellapalooza."

"Sure, we could do that." George nodded. "But I also had a couple o' other ideas..."

Drawing a piece of paper from his back pocket, he shared the list of songs he had made with Wade, who read it all with interest. There were some good choices on there. Some not so good ones too, but that was fine. They only needed to agree on three for their set at Battle of the Bands. Of course, they had to be the exact right three if they were going to win. As the days went by, Wade became more and more certain that that was exactly what he wanted. Turned out he was capable of ambitions and dreams for the future after all. Who the hell knew?

"And I told him, 'I do not date musicians. Not anymore. I have had my heart stomped on way too many times, I will not go there again. It's a rule that I'm livin' by now!'"

Zoe winced on hearing Tansy's heartfelt rant as she explained to Wanda what was going on with her and George. She knew that she had nothing to feel bad about in this scenario, not really. Sure, it had been her idea for Wade to ask George about singing with the band for the competition, but either one of them could have said no to the suggestion. As it was, Wade thought it was a great idea, and when he pitched it to George, he agreed. Apparently, Tansy was less enthusiastic.

"Hey, Zoe," Wanda greeted her, realising she was hovering behind Tansy.

"Hi, Wanda, Tansy," she said, nodding once at the blonde when she turned to stare at her. "Um, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to listen in. I just wondered if you wanted a ride to the band rehearsal, but from what I just inadvertently overheard, I'm guessing that's a no?"

"You betcha ass it's a no!" said Tansy strongly, before seeming to realise exactly what she said and to whom. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so snappy. After all, none o' this is your fault. You didn't make George Tucker become such a fool!"

Wanda recoiled at her friend's harsh tone, then excused herself as she had to get back to work. Zoe watched her go and sighed, realising she couldn't walk away quite so easily. After all, she cared about George and she knew how much Wade still cared about Tansy, all be in it a much more platonic way these days. Neither one of them wanted their friends' relationship to fall apart, especially not over Battle of the Bands.

"Tansy, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on things" she said carefully. "Let's be honest, we don't have all that much in common, except for Wade... and George, I guess."

Zoe winced, very much wishing she had never started this speech, because it seriously was not going well at all. If she hadn't realised it for herself, the hard look on Tansy's face certainly would have let her know in a second.

"Okay, starting over now," she said, shaking her head and waving her hands as if to reset the scene. "Tansy, you care about George and I know he cares about you. Anybody who has seen you two together could not fail to realise that you make such a great couple. What I'm saying is, I for one would hate to see things fall apart between you and George just because he's singing with Wade's band for one night. Just one night," she insisted, holding up a single finger to hammer the point home. "He's not becoming a different person. He'll still be George Tucker, lawyer and all-around good guy, and I think we both know he most definitely is not Wade," she said with a look.

At that, Tansy smiled. "Strangest part o' all of this is, I'm not sure even Wade is Wade anymore. Now, I don't mean that in a bad way, like you went ahead and made him a whole different person. You didn't. Truth is, he made himself different, and yes, I think he did a lot of that for you, but it ain't a bad thing. What he changed was the stuff that needed changin'. The cheatin' and the messin' around. He needed to grow up some. You gave him a reason to try, which is a whole lot more than I ever did."

Zoe opened her mouth to respond to that but she honestly wasn't sure what to say. She almost thought she should say 'thank you', yet at the same time, a part of her felt like an apology was in order. She was caught completely off-guard all over again when Tansy up and apologised to her instead.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk out o' turn or whatever," she said, shaking her head. "Lord knows, I wouldn't want you comin' over here and tellin' me about my relationship, though I guess that kind of is what you did," she realised, smiling in spite of what she just said. "I guess you're right about George Tucker, but you should know, I'm right about Wade too. He has changed for the better since he fell for you. I just know you two are gonna do way better than he and I ever did. You should know, I'm not bitter about that now. I was once, but that was a while ago. Also, George picked me, and since you picked Wade, I really don't see what you and me have to fight about anymore."

"Oh, well, good," said Zoe, nodding her head. "Me either."

A strange moment passed between the two, a solidifying of some kind of friendship perhaps, and yet, it all became awkward again, in the very next second, because with everything that needed to be said having been voiced, what else was there?

"Um, so, where are we on the wanting a ride to the band's practice?" Zoe asked eventually. "Because I really should be going..."

Tansy heaved a sigh. "I guess I should come along. Poor George, he prob'ly thinks I'm a basket-case, the way I flipped out on him, but you gotta understand, all the trouble I have had with musicians in the past..."

"I don't doubt that for a second," said Zoe sympathetically, "and I am fine with hearing about it, if you want to vent, but maybe in the car? If we don't go soon, we're going to miss the whole thing, and I really don't want to let Wade down like that."

At that, Tansy smiled a wide smile, picking up her purse and hopping down from the bar stool. "Yeah," she said definitely, "the two o' you will do just fine together."

To Be Continued...